| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1963 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Headquarters | Saint Paul, Minnesota Bemidji, Minnesota |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent department | Minnesota Legislature |
| Website | https://mn.gov/indianaffairs/index.html |
The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1963 to provide a liaison between the government of Minnesota and the American Indian tribes in the state.[1] The council also brings issues of concern to Indians living in urban areas to the attention of the state government. It was the first state-level Indian affairs agency to be established in the United States.[2]
Mission and vision
The mission of MIAC is "to protect the sovereignty of the 11 Minnesota tribes and ensure the well-being of all American Indian citizens throughout the state of Minnesota."[1] The organization's vision, as given in a 2020 report by Wilder Research, is "to strive for social, economic, and political justice for all American Indian people living in Minnesota, while embracing our traditional cultural and spiritual values."[3]
Tribal nations
The council communicates with governments of eleven Indian reservations recognized by the United States federal government.[1] Seven are Anishinaabe (Chippewa, Ojibwe) reservations and four are Dakota (Sioux) communities, listed below:
- Bois Forte Indian Reservation (Zagaakwaandagowininiwag)
- Fond du Lac Indian Reservation (Nah-gah-chi-wa-nong)
- Grand Portage Indian Reservation (Gichi-Onigaming)
- Leech Lake Indian Reservation (Gaa-zagaskwaabiganikaag)
- Lower Sioux Indian Reservation (Cansa'yapi)
- Mille Lacs Indian Reservation (Misi-zaaga'iganiing)
- Prairie Island Indian Community (Tinta Winta)
- Red Lake Indian Reservation (Mis-Qua-Mi-Saga-Eh-Ganing)
- Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (Medwakanton)
- Upper Sioux Indian Reservation (Pezihutazizi Oyate)
- White Earth Indian Reservation (Gaa-waabaabiganikaag)
The Ho-chunk Nation and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe are absent, though the six component members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe have been included in MIAC.
References
- ^ a b c "MN Indian Affairs Council: Home". mn.gov. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
- ^ "Indian Affairs Council". www.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
- ^ "Minnesota Indian Affairs Council". Wilder Foundation. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2020-07-06.